We’re closing out our three-part, full-cast chapter read of 'The Songs of Ash and Dawn', Book 2; Chapter 1 "Of Masks and Monsters" by Gabrielle Wanek. 

After dismissing Nic from the temple, Elizabeth cleans up the remains of her spoiled ceremony.  Her loyal servant, Elias, asks what the next steps are for the plan. Elizabeth has a simple answer...

Watch the Episode Here: 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/pKPIYhXCw_o

Voice Actors

Lou Fox:

https://www.instagram.com/bardcommander

Jackie Yangyuen: 

https://www.instagram.com/jlymuse/

https://www.jlymusic.com/voice-acting

Gabrielle Wanek:

https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriellewriter?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/gawanek/?igsh=Z2dxdTd1czRwYnU0&utm_source=qr

Songs of Ash and Dawn:

https://www.songsofashanddawn.com/book

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-ash-and-dawn-gabrielle-wanek/1148400036

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G21NQQ2P?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

 If you enjoy this kind of fiction podcast storytelling and voice acting, subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the series.

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

@Myuu, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiSKnkKCKAQVxMUWpZQobuQ

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

We pick up Part 2 of our Chapter 1 read from The Songs of Ash and Dawn Book 2 by Gabrielle Wanek.. Nick staggers in with news he can barely say out loud: a god, a young witch, and what might be a demigod bested him and ruined his plans. How will his benefactor Elizabeth handle such news? Listen to find out!

Subscribe for the final part of the chapter, share this with a friend who loves fantasy audiobooks and audio drama, and leave a review so more listeners can find the story. What detail from Elizabeth’s plan creeped you out most?

Watch the Episode Here: 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/WeXBAg-B2ck

Voice Actors

Lou Fox:

https://www.instagram.com/bardcommander

Jackie Yangyuen: 

https://www.instagram.com/jlymuse/

https://www.jlymusic.com/voice-acting

Gabrielle Wanek:

https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriellewriter?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/gawanek/?igsh=Z2dxdTd1czRwYnU0&utm_source=qr

Songs of Ash and Dawn:

https://www.songsofashanddawn.com/book

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-ash-and-dawn-gabrielle-wanek/1148400036

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G21NQQ2P?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

 If you enjoy this kind of fiction podcast storytelling and voice acting, subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the series.

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

A gold mask glints in candlelight as a ruined temple fills with chanting and the promise of “purity.” A bound mythos prisoner kneels in the firelit center, chained to stone, and muzzled.

We’re back with a dramatic, voice-acted chapter read from Gabrielle Wanek’s Songs of Ash and Dawn Book 2, and we’re not easing in. This is Chapter 1, and it carries a clear spoiler warning for anyone who hasn’t finished Book 1 yet.

If you love fantasy, indie fantasy worlds, and the kind of narration that makes a scene feel staged and alive, this chapter is built for your headphones.

Watch the Episode Here: 

Youtube: https://youtu.be/WeXBAg-B2ck

Voice Actors

Lou Fox:

https://www.instagram.com/bardcommander

Jackie Yangyuen: 

https://www.instagram.com/jlymuse/

https://www.jlymusic.com/voice-acting

Gabrielle Wanek:

https://www.tiktok.com/@gabriellewriter?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/gawanek/?igsh=Z2dxdTd1czRwYnU0&utm_source=qr

Songs of Ash and Dawn:

https://www.songsofashanddawn.com/book

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songs-of-ash-and-dawn-gabrielle-wanek/1148400036

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G21NQQ2P?ref=KC_GS_GB_US

Listen to Chapter 1 Audio Here:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-27-songs-of-ash-and-dawn-chapter-1-gabrielle-wanek/id1717470807?i=1000740219611

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DSPJJh98NhmORaZVLUF8H?si=b25ad6e102084f55

 If you enjoy this kind of fiction podcast storytelling and voice acting, subscribe, share the episode, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the series.

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

They wanted one clean rush of freedom, one daring swim toward the deep, one moment where the rules couldn’t touch them. Instead, Calistya and Khrystal run straight into Border Patrol, and Chapter 6 of The Solarian Deep turns a teenage act of courage into a system-level warning: you will be watched, labeled, and marched back into place. We’re Connor Reed’s Books, and we perform “Fault Lines” by author David Deane Haskell with Connor narrating and Ruth Ann and Jackie voicing the two leads, giving this cyberpunk sci-fi audiobook chapter the tension and tenderness it deserves.

Voice Actors

RuthAnn Kvamme:

ruthannkvamme.com 

Jackie Yangyuen: 

https://www.instagram.com/jlymuse/

https://www.jlymusic.com/voice-acting

David's Links: 

https://daviddeanehaskell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/daviddeanehaskell/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171228.David_Deane_Haskell

https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Haskell/author/B00DVBCZ5S?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4011edc2-7c6b-4e23-8d3b-51b5b20c5fae

https://substack.com/@daviddeanehaskell

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

A dead shoreline. A rusted power station. An underwater civilization that has every reason to fear the past; and one stubborn student who can’t stop reaching for it. We’re back with a solo story read from 'The Solarian Deep' by David Deane Haskell. Chapter 5 “Legacies Unearthed” is the kind of post-apocalyptic cyberpunk sci-fi that makes you feel the salt in the air and the risk in every kick of your feet.

Daniela is brilliant, restless, and convinced that old-world infrastructure might hold the key to long-term survival. When her society draws a hard boundary around “dangerous” energy and “approved” progress, she does what curious people always do: she pushes past the boundary. A rare shore-access petition turns into a tense expedition with anthropologists scavenging for human relics and engineers hunting for usable answers.


If you enjoy the ride, subscribe, share the show with a sci-fi friend, and leave a review.

David's Links: 

https://daviddeanehaskell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/daviddeanehaskell/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171228.David_Deane_Haskell

https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Haskell/author/B00DVBCZ5S?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4011edc2-7c6b-4e23-8d3b-51b5b20c5fae

https://substack.com/@daviddeanehaskell

Music Credits for chapter 5

https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteBatAudio

Cinematic Documentary Drone by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Slow Motion

Blanket of Stars - Royalty Free 80s Retro Synth *No Beat* (Copyright Safe)

Atmospheric Sci-Fi Synthwave - Distant Planet // Royalty Free No Copyright Background Music

Background Video

Free Underwater Background Video Loop 4k  - Relaxing underwater video  - Royalty Free Vj Loop

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

This week, I sit down with David Deane Haskell to talk about the long arc of becoming an author, from finding his voice through music to discovering that fiction and nonfiction can both be a way to be seen, understood, and connected.

We explore David's experience in the indie publishing grind, and what the Kindle era taught a lot of writers the hard way: overnight success is rare, and craft takes time. David shares what influences still guide him today, his burst-based workflow, and using dictation to write.

David talks about a multi-year stretch where healing was the priority, and how the floodgates reopened with richer characters and sharper themes. That shift shows up in The Solarian Deep, a story that starts with an undersea premise and grows into science fiction with dystopian edges, identity and transformation, social pressure, and the divide between “us” and “them.” We also talk about building an online presence, the real risk of internet cruelty, and the very real rewards of putting yourself out there.

If you enjoy author interviews, science fiction craft talk, and honest conversations about creativity in public, you’ll get a lot out of this one.

 Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more readers and writers can find us.

David's Links:

https://daviddeanehaskell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/daviddeanehaskell/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171228.David_Deane_Haskell

https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Haskell/author/B00DVBCZ5S?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4011edc2-7c6b-4e23-8d3b-51b5b20c5fae

https://substack.com/@daviddeanehaskell

The Men of the Mountain

Purchase the Book Here!! => Audible Link

Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

One moment Edgar is walking beside the sea, hand in hand with his wife, cherry blossoms drifting like soft pink snow. The next, the music cuts out, the city is silent, and the face beside him is no longer hers. “The Vanishing Lightning” is our full audio drama performance of Qualia Reed’s haunting science fiction short story, where love, memory, and survival collide in a world that has already ended.

Content Warnings: 

Depictions of struggles with Dementia

Violence

Blood

Elderly in Peril

Children in Peril

Qualia’s Links: 

https://www.instagram.com/qualiareed/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Qualia-Reed-Author-100087126994657/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22862775.Qualia_Reed

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BDTHJ3RP?ingress=0&visitId=f4b89a39-4ecd-4d9f-b56e-3821adbdf036

Listen to Ursus Aeternus!

https://www.audible.com/pd/Ursus-Aeternus-Audiobook/B0CNL37SPH

Voice Actors

RuthAnn Kvamme - Laura 06

ruthannkvamme.com 

Jackie Yangyuen - Isis

https://www.instagram.com/jlymuse/

https://www.jlymusic.com/voice-acting

Connor McGeverly - Narrator, Edgar, News Anchor

Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

All other music and sound effects in this performance are copyright free and royalty free. Links and lists can be provided at request. 

The Men of the Mountain

Purchase the Book Here!! => Audible Link

Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

A fantasy saga that was supposed to be three books somehow grows into ten, and it’s not because the author can’t let go, it’s because the world keeps demanding the parts that make it feel true. We’re joined by returning guest Gabrielle Wanick to celebrate the upcoming release of The Songs of Ash and Dawn Book 2 (July 14), and to get very honest about what it takes to plan long-form epic fantasy without collapsing under plot holes, pacing problems, or abandoned threads. 

Then we go behind the curtain on the production side of modern publishing: why the audiobook happened sooner than planned, how you sort through a massive list of narrator auditions, and what it feels like when a performer like Melissa Redmond adds a new layer of creativity to your text. We also get into revision realities, including cutting chapters, redistributing key scenes, and rewriting major parts of the series when a character no longer works. Add in myth-inspired worldbuilding, a runic magic system that functions like technology, and cover art by Zelda Devon with hidden spoiler details, and you’ve got plenty to chew on. 

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

Gabrielle Wanek, author Songs of Ash And Dawn

Sign up for three free chapters of Book1 and 2: www.songsofashanddawn.com

Melissa Redmond - Narrator of Songs of Ash and Dawn Book 1

Music 

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

I’m joined by Drew Harrison, author of Men Of The Mountain, to talk about how his background in journalism shaped his fiction, why he researches details most readers will never double-check, and how sci fi can act like a warning system when technology moves faster than our culture can adapt. 

We get into craft and influence in a practical way: how reading Stephen King, Brandon Sanderson, and Joe Abercrombie left fingerprints on Drew’s style, why first-person narration can shrink the distance between reader and character, and how he builds authenticity by keeping his protagonists human, insecure, and pressured by responsibility. Drew also explains why Men Of The Mountain starts with one genre flavor and then reveals a deeper sci fi core, using the clash between tribal life and advanced technology to make familiar concepts feel uncanny again. 

Then we zoom out to cyberpunk themes that are suddenly not-so-fictional: AI manipulation, misinformation, and the creeping sense that we’re building systems we don’t fully understand. Drew argues bleak worlds need optimism to stay readable, and that hope is what turns dystopian storytelling into something more than despair. We also talk audiobooks: the joy of hearing a narrator bring lines to life, the challenge of letting go of control, and the best advice for authors who want to adapt their books to audio. 

If you enjoy author interviews, science fiction writing, cyberpunk ideas, and grounded worldbuilding, subscribe, share this with a reader friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

'Men of The Mountain' Early Review Signups: 

https://forms.gle/dBNywczwCG72HXt9A

Drew Harrison's Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Drew-Harrison/author/B09PJWGGF2?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22160775.Drew_Harrison

https://drewharrisonbooks.wixsite.com/home

Sip Java Co, where much of MotM was written: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wKgL7y6tqvFXz3mg6

Well's Coffee, which does the on-site roasting: https://maps.app.goo.gl/c1VYu9isiD3YYvsJA

Drew's Events: 

Read it Write it, June 20:

https://www.facebook.com/ReadItWriteBookFestival/

Shelf Life Space, June 27: 

https://www.instagram.com/shelflifespace/

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request. 

Today we share a full chapter from the 'Warforged' Audio book, written by R.C. Hannah, and performed by me! We follow the story of a plucky human fighter pilot named Crash, as he and the Black Geese Squadron are dropped from Faster Than Light travel into the frying pan. 

Thanks for checking out the episode! If you liked it, please consider purchasing the full audiobook on audible; it helps both R.C. and me!

Audible link: 

https://www.audible.com/pd/Warforged-Audiobook/B0GP3D5CHC?srsltid=AfmBOopaiGnbvWL5YNDDBL5MGI9iRl-r1c5IB75j_WIDTwuky5PP6Wwk

R.C. Hannah's Links: 

https://www.rchannah.com/

https://www.instagram.com/r.c.hannah/

Death and Red Trilliums: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213913099-death-red-trilliums

Stranded Season 9:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/248241938-stranded

Content Warnings: 

Mild Language

Space Violence

Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:

L. Connor Voice - Website

https://www.instagram.com/l.connorvoice/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095473899665

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIC0iAX-pJlqW7LBq2PJL6A

Music Credits: 

Louie Sanders, https://www.instagram.com/soundmonksound/

Any and all music, sound effects, or visual effects used in this production are royalty and copyright free. Lists of SFX and Music can be provided upon request.